Method of making armatures



V. G. APPLE.

METHOD OF MAKING ARMATURES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1918.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V. G. APPLE.

METHOD OF MAKING ARMATURES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1918.

1,438,422. Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHE 2.

kwew Vicefiliftple Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

VINCENT G. APPLE, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

METHOD OF MAKING ARMATURES.

Application filed May 7, 1918. Serial 1T0. 233,007.

To-aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT G. APPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Armatures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and improved methods for making armatures and the article of manufacture.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve armature construction by providing a method of procedure to hasten the time of construction, to cheapenthe cost of such devices, and to render them more staunch, enduring and efiicient.

Another object of my invention is to support and hold the commutator sections, with a moldable insulating material used to insulate the armature conductors, and to subsequently fill the spaces between adjacent commutator sections, with another insulating filling material better adapted for commutator use. I

Another object of my--invention is to provide an armature in which the commutator and conductors are partly embedded in and entirely supported by an insulating moldable material without requiring any other means of support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means for welding the rear ends, of the conducting bars together, after the bars have been placed on the core of the armature.

Other, further and more specific objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, whereir.

Fig. 1 is a central axial section of armature constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an armature conductor comprising a loop. consisting of two conducting bars bent at the back end of the armature and joined by means of an angle block welded to each of the bars.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the angle block. r

Fig. 4.- shows a conventional apparatus for welding the parts together.

at the back end of the armature when it is desirable to make the armature serve in a rotary converter, or the like.

In all the views the same reference charactors are employed to indicate Similar parts.

The broader claims relating to the subject matter herein disclosed have been transferred to my copending application Serial No. 231,291, April 27, 1918, and the narrower claims relating to the specific formation of the commutator retained in this case.

The core of an ordinary armature is mounted on the spider '11 which is secured to the shaft 12 by the key 13. In the structure illustrated the core 10 has a series of perforations near its peripheral surface to receive straight armature conducting bars 14 and 15, which project beyond the core at the commutator end. The conducting bars are suitably paired and connected together at the rear end of the armature, as usual in structures of this character. The bars are suitably insulated from each other and from the core in the perforations, as by insulation 16 that hardens by heat and the application of pressure such, for example, as bakelite, thereby completely embedding the conductors in the insulating material, and supporting the commutator Wholly by the bars and insulating material.

The ends of the straight bars-14 and 15 are bent, as shown at 14 and 15 in Fig. 2,

and suitably connected together at their ends, as, for example, at 17 A cube or block 18 may be placed intermediate the ends in slots 19 and 20. These parts may then be joined together by welding machine 21, or

otherwise.

Current may be brought to the weldmg apparatus over the wires 22 and 23, when welding is used as a joining means, and

pressure is applied to weld the joints by movement of the handle 24 when the heated ends become softened by application of heat.

Sections 34 of the commuator may thus be a I welded or otherwise secured to the paired terminals at the rear end of the armature.

The ends 14* and 15 are secured to conducting blocks 25, preferably by welding, to

make a molecular continuous conductor from bar to bar. After this has been accomplished, a continuous, unbroken ring 26 is placed in a diametric plane into which the ends let and of the conducting bars extend and in contact therewith. The paired and welded-together ends of the conductors are then Welded to appropriate parts of this commutator ring 26, to produce molecular respective commutator sections, has been ac-' compl'ished, an insulating moldable material 32, is placed around all of the conducting parts at the commutator end of the armature, except the portion left bare for contact with the collecting brushes. The rear end of the armature may receive the same treatment. A bakelite, or similar ring thus formed is the sole means for supporting and firmly holding in place the projecting ends of the conductors and the commutator sections.

After the molded insulating material 32, in which the commutator 26 has been substantially embedded, has become hardened, as it will when cooled, the commutator ring is then divided by sawing it intothe proper number of commutator sections, from point 31 to the outer, surface of the commutator.

' During the sawing operation the hardened bakelite, or condensite, will as firmly hold and back the commutator ring as if the ring were set in a brass casting. -After the saw-' ing operation has been completed, the openings made by the saw, between adjoining sections, may be filled with any suitable insulating material, such, for example, as bakelite, powdered mica and liquid glass or silicate of soda, or the like, as indicated at 34, or they may be left open. The surrounding, hardened bakelite molded around the commutator sections and the conductor ends, to which they are connected, will firmly support and lold the commutator sections in place. 27 shows commutator sections of a commutator that may be placed on the rear. end of the armature and the rear ends of the conductors may, if desired, be connected thereto.

It is well known that condensite, and like products, become softened by application of heat during molding operation and that While soft, suitable molds may be used to fashion it into the desired shape and after reaction setsin, and the substance becomes cold, subsequent heating to the same degree will not soften it. For these reasons it is Well adapted for the purpose described.

In the structure disclosed the commutator is supported entirely" by the projecting conductor ends and by the ring 32 of insulation, quite independently of the shaft upon which the armature is mounted.

By making the. structure in this manner, in which the commutator is wholly supported by the armature, the ring of insulation not only covers and protects the conducting" parts from contact, and danger of short circuit, but it contributes largely in holding theconductor and commutator sections together, and is the sole means of supporting the commutator sections. The same homogeneous binding agent thus serving for both purposes; the armature and commutator being tied together b a single body of insulating material in t 1e form of a ring so that they are one inseparable unit.

Insulating the sections of the commutator, after'it has been joined to the conductors of the armature, contributes to cheapness of construction and accuracy of operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim is The method of making armatures which consists in temporarily supporting armature conductors on the core of an armature; pairing the ends of the conductors and joining them together; providing an undivided commutator annulus, having cuts therein to indicate the spaced-apart commutator sections; securing the said ends to the indicated sections, respectively; permanently supporting the armature conductors and commutator annulus with homogeneous insulating, adhesive hard material; completely separating said indicated segments, thru said cuts to form commutator segments, and filling the cuts subsequently made, to finally divide the annulus into segments, with another insulating material better adapted for commutator purposes.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

VINCENT G. APPLE. 

